AT&T and Aira Continue Relationship to Bring new Experiences to the Blind and Those with Low Vision

AT&T* and Aira continue to expand their relationship to bring new experiences to the blind and those with low vision. This time, it’s the customer experience. All AT&T company-owned retail and authorized retail stores are now Aira Access Locations. That means that any member of the blind and low-vision community with a smartphone can become an Aira Guest and can get free use of Aira’s service at over 5,300 AT&T retail locations across the U.S.

Aira, powered by AT&T, is a San Diego-based startup. The company uses wearable technology, artificial intelligence, and live, human assistance to help people who are blind or have low vision navigate their surroundings. Using a smartphone or a pair of smart glasses, an Aira “Guest” or “Explorer,” respectively, connects to a remote professional agent who provides a real-time description of what’s around them. The agent uses a remote presence dashboard with live video stream, GPS, maps, and an AI-assisted information gatherer from the web to provide relevant details to the Guest or Explorer.

In Aira Access Locations, Guests and Explorers can use the Aira service without being charged for minutes under an Aira service plan. Newcomers to Aira can download the official Aira app for free on any Android or iOS smartphone with a camera and sign up as a Guest to take advantage of this new collaboration.[1] With just the touch of a button, a Guest using the Aira app can connect with an agent to enhance their shopping experience.

“AT&T has always played a key role in the evolution of Aira service as they share a common mission of unlocking IoT for Good,” said Suman Kanuganti, founder and CEO of Aira. “Now with over 5,300 retail locations, the largest deployment of Aira Access in the world, AT&T is leading the way on how we are building accessible and inclusive smart cities for everyone.”Guests and Explorers can enjoy shopping for AT&T products and services at traditional retail stores and authorized retail locations. This includes our new pop-up and mobile stores.Our new retail stores offer a great, entertainment-focused experience for our customers. Shoppers can experience the full range of AT&T products and services to see how entertainment and connectivity are better together. Making our stores Aira Access Locations provides the blind and low-vision community access to that same experience. Our customers are the essential driving force behind all decisions made within our company.

This builds off AT&T’s continued collaboration with Aira on Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. The AT&T Foundry worked with Aira to provide wireless connectivity for its groundbreaking platform and create machine learning algorithms for medication recognition. The AT&T Foundry innovation center in Houston collaborates directly with companies, universities, hospitals and startups like Aira to rapidly co-create cutting-edge connected healthcare solutions.AT&T is also supporting Aira through its Back to School program, donating smart glasses to blind students transitioning to college. These collaborations are part of AT&T’s broader commitments to using IoT for Good.

AT&T is committed to accessibility and creating inclusive experiences for everyone. Our dedication to accessibility is evident in the products we make, the services we offer and in how we hire, develop and engage employees with disabilities. We’ve received a 100% score on the Disability Equality Index (DEI) every year since its inception in 2014. We’ve been named a Disability Matters Honoree in the Marketplace and ranked as one of the top employers by both Careers & The Disabled Magazine and Diversity, Inc. We’ve also received the top ranking in the 2017 J.D. Power Purchase Experience Full-Service Study.